Labor Day Mass stresses workers' dignity

Bishop prays for poor, unemployed

SAN ANGELO, Texas - Francisco Diaz was thankful that although he is retired, he can still help his son cook at his restaurant.

“The Lord gives us this blessing to work,” Diaz said. “That’s why we come to be thankful.”

Diaz, along with more than 100 other San Angeloans, gathered Monday morning for the annual Labor Day Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

People began arriving at the cathedral well before the 10 a.m. start of the service. Four young children sat in a pew beside their mother with their hands clasped, murmuring prayers while people trickled into the sanctuary.

During the service the Most Rev. Michael Pfeifer offered special prayers for workers, the unemployed and those in poverty.

“We thank God for the opportunity to work,” Pfeifer said. “There are many unemployed people who are exploited by the economic system. Sometimes we have not fulfilled our work in the proper manner or respected the dignity of our workers.”

In West Texas, Pfeifer said, the situation is somewhat different from the rest of the country.

“There are jobs in West Texas — that’s good news. The national picture, sadly, is much worse than here in West Texas,” he said. “We’re the exception. We have to use that gift in the proper way.”

Diaz and his wife, Juanita Diaz, have four children living in San Angelo. Francisco Diaz, who used to work for a company slaughtering lambs, said Labor Day is an important day to give thanks for good health and the ability to work.

“On this Labor Day,” Pfeifer said, “our mission takes us to the millions who suffer.”

Pfeifer has celebrated this Mass for about 29 years. In his address he prayed for some of the worldwide issues that were related to employment and economy, including immigration policies in the United States, unrest in Syria and Egypt, and the millions living in poverty everywhere.

In the service Pfeifer stressed the dignity and ethical treatment of each worker.

“As businesses and as a government, we all have a responsibility to promote the dignity of workers,” he said.

As Diaz and his wife exited the sanctuary to spend the remainder of the day resting from the daily grind, the gray clouds overhead were filled with the hope of rain.

“(Labor Day) is so important because that’s what we’re living for — God gives us the support for our family,” he said.